The Iola register., 1887-09-16

CHAPTER IX.-CoNTINUzD.
Tad knew nothing about playing
trout, and if he had it would have made
no difference, owing to his primitive
fishing tackle. He pulled vigorously;
SO did the trout, and ''snap"' went the
end of the alder pole. leaving Tad in a
mad frenzy of excitement. with three
fourths of the rod in his hands, dane
ing madly on the rocks
Joe was equal to the situation.
Dropping his own pole. he made a dive
for the broken fragment, which was
floating in sight Gathering the slack
line carefully in his hands. vigorous
tug landed high and dry the largest
trout ever caught in Mill brook.
'.There!" Joe exclaimed, as Tad re-
gaFsied his prize in an amazement too
deep for words. "you've caught the one
real trout you've wanted to-now,
guess we'd better be getting home.
without doing any more fishing"
'.All right" returned Tad, mourn
fully, "but you caught him. after all.
Joe" But Joe stoutly asserted that
Tad hooked him frst while he-Joe-
only helped to bring the big fish safe to
land. And, in the discussion of the ex-
citing episode, the walk home was ac-
coinplished in surprisingly short time.
Tad's big trout was baked for sup
per. and it was generally agreed by the
four who partook thereOfthat the flavor
was particularly fine. Tad himself Sc
cretly thought he had never eaten any
thing SO delicious in his whole life.
But it is not unlikely that the knowl-
edge that he himself had furnished this
important adjunct to the evening meal
gave it an additional relish for Tad.
BY this time Tad had begun to feel
very much at ease with these quiet.
home-like people As they gathered
about the open Fireplace. with its
smoldering backlog. after the tea
things were cleared away, and the big
kerosene-lamp was lighted. he opened
his heart to their kindly questioning
and spoke freely of his past life. There
was really little or nothing to keep
back, for, as have said, thanks to the
memory of his mothers teachings and
anatural uprightness of character, Tad
had escaped the evil ways which a
homeless, friendless boyis 50 apt to fall
into, and, though he had faults in
abundance, he was, on the whole, 8
more upright young fellow than many
whose surroundings and advantage:
had been far more favorable thar
Tad's.
$50 you're to begin ships duties II
Miss Smith O. Monday-eh. Tad?" re
marked the Captain. thoughtfuliy, t.
break a little silence which had fallel
upon the group.
"Yes, SIR" was the reply. land
do hope she'll like me-"
..Shc'n be hard 10 suit if she don't,
returned Mrs. Flagg, clicking her nee
dies emphatically together as the
flashed in and out of the meshes OF
blue warn sock that she was knittin
for the Captain. For the good lady
whose heart was large enough to tax
in at least half dozen motherlsss boy
and girls, had begun to regard Ia
with considerable favor.
Il know she'll like you," said Poll,
confidently, as she looked up from tn
fascinating pages of Little Women.
which she was reading for the first tim
while Bounce slumbered peacefully
her lap.
"You Just 60 on and do your du,
unto Miss Smith accordin' as you
have it done to you. Tad" remarke
the Captain, oracularly. land yc
needn't have no fears. Miss Smith.
continued Captain Flagg, with upraist
finger to command attention. is a
male that's had tempestuous w.
in life, as it were, a-losing of every r
lation she had, which mas gone to NAL
hera bit cranky; but she's good-heart'
and God-fearin', and once you get in
her good books, you're always there
"They say she's got a han sum pro
erty that her folks left her-som
where's nigh ten thousan' dollars, N,
Elagg observed, in a voice indicative
considerable respect for the possess
of such wealth. For in BixpOrt t
person with an unencumbered esta
and a thousand dollars was ''well-t
do: he who had five thousand was WI
of; while the owner of ten thousal
dollars was regarded in the Light of
millionaire.
CHAPTER x
On the following morning, VIII
Tad, having opened his eyes to t
glad sunlight which streamed in at t
east window of his little room, beg
to pull his drowsy ideas together.
remembered that it was Sunday.
They'll want me to 60 to churc
and L don't look decent thought Ia
iiisconsolately, with glance in the I
rection of the chair where he b
placed his threadbare clothing t
night before.
But what was this? A partly wo
suit of serviceable tweed cloth-t
rsry counterpart Of that in which J
Whitney was arrayed when he spra
aboard the MARY j." hung over I
chair-back. And that was not all.
the chair itself lay all the other esse
tials of boys toilet. neatly fold'
even to a coarse white linen collar
whisp of black neck-ribbon. a pair
Ect little used lace-up boots, and
..second-best" straw hat
Scarcely able to believe the evider
of his astonished eyes, Tad slipped {